


Chemical Reactions

by misslou



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Drunk Gavin, Eventual Gavin Free/Michael Jones, Gavin Free/Michael Jones-centric, M/M, Mavin, Mavin Fic Bang, Opposites Attract, Protective Michael Jones, RageHappy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-05 01:05:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12783579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misslou/pseuds/misslou
Summary: Michael Jones is a fun-loving, easily distracted, lacrosse playing frat boy that would do just about anything for a good time. Gavin Free is an introverted, easily excitable, brilliant scholar who is devoted to his studies and his research. What will happen when the two collide? Will opposites attract?





	1. Chapter 1

Michael mindlessly tapped his food on the ground as his professor’s words started to become mush in his brain. He could barely even understand what the man was saying - all he was hearing was a monotone hum that never seemed to stop vibrating in his ears. It was a Friday morning, and the last place Michael Jones wanted to be was in a lecture hall listening to an elderly man rave about exponential equations. 

With a sigh, Michael pulled out his phone from his back pocket and started to scroll through his social media feeds. Although his notebook was opened on his miniature desk, not a single note had been taken since the start of the lecture. Michael could hardly contain his boredom. 

“This is so stupid,” Michael grunted, casting a sideways glance at his friend and roommate, Ray, who attended the class beside him. Ray hadn’t taken many notes either, and was instead doodling a picture of a dog on the page. With a snicker, Ray looked back at Michael. 

“Tell me about it,” Ray replied, adjusting his dark gray beanie on his head. 

Michael didn’t really care much for morning classes, especially when the morning class happened to be calculus. He was a thorough believer in sleeping late, accomplishing what needed to be done in the afternoon, and then staying up until odd hours of the night doing God knows what. Being a junior in college, Michael had suffered his fair share of 8 AM lectures, and thought scheduling a 9:35 AM lecture would make him feel the tiniest bit better. Sadly, he was mistaken, and the morning in general made him irritable and sleepy. 

The lecture stretched on for twenty more minutes, and upon hitting 10:25, Michael pushed his way past his classmates to exit the auditorium with Ray close behind him. He hated large crowds of equally tired, zombie-like college students leaving a morning lecture, and was keen on getting as far away as possible to start the walk back to his dorm room. 

“Do you have any idea of what we learned today?” Michael proposed, squinting against the morning sun that greeted him as he exited the hall. The March air was slightly on the cooler side, but the bright sunlight made the atmosphere a bit more enjoyable. 

Ray shrugged his shoulders, adjusting his black-rimmed glasses on his nose. “Not a clue,” he replied. “I’ll probably catch the notes from Blaine later today.” 

“And I’ll catch the notes from you even later today,” Michael added with a smirk. 

Ray chuckled, matching his pace with Michael’s, and began to talk about small, unimportant matters until the duo reached their residence hall. Michael was quick to enter and unlock their dorm, abruptly falling onto his bed and stuffing his face in his pillow. 

“It’s been a long day,” Michael murmured, his voice muffled by the pillow covering his mouth. 

“It’s 10:30!” Ray exclaimed with a light-hearted laugh, stuffing a book into his bookbag and zipping it up. “I gotta go to physics though. Catch you later.” 

“Hey, Beta Theta Pi party tonight, don’t forget!” Michael called, raising his head to meet Ray’s glance as he gathered his belongings.

Ray nodded, pointing to his jacket that bore the fraternity logo on the front. “Oh, I never forget,” he said slyly. “See you later Mike.” 

Michael gave a limp wave as Ray walked out the door, then promptly took out his phone to check for any recent texts. His next class wasn’t until noon, and he had some time to kill beforehand. Unlocking his phone, he noticed a text from one of his fraternity brothers, Blaine Gibson. 

_10:21 AM / Blaine: Hey Mikey, some brothers are meeting at the bell tower before the party tonight, you in?_

With a snicker, Michael began to reply. 

_10:35 AM / Michael: hell yeah! Always better to arrive in style._

Tossing his phone on the bed, Michael stood and let out an audible grunt as he stretched away the boredom of his last class. Texting Blaine had strengthened his excitement for the frat party that was taking place that night, and Michael already couldn’t wait to drink the Friday night away. 

Michael joined Beta Theta Pi his freshman year, alongside Ray, and had entered Greek life as a naive, shy 18-year-old boy. At first, frat parties intimidated him, and he didn’t attend many. After befriending Blaine, who was a grade older than him, Michael was shown just how fun and rewarding Greek life really can be, and in the blink of an eye, Michael became the typical, idiot frat boy that made a fool of himself at every party. 

With a sigh, Michael laid his head back down on the soft sheets of his bed, and drifted off into a sweet nap, forgetting about his next class he was due to attend in an hour and a half.

* * *

“Yeah, and you just divide this by the radian measure of this angle, which will give you the area of all of this combined.” 

Gavin tapped the dry erase marker on the board after outlining the steps that were present in his mathematical explanation, sending a glance over the heads of the three students he was tutoring. He looked back at his work to do a quick calculation, then drew a large circle over his final answer. He received nods from his peers, which made Gavin smile in satisfaction. “Any more questions?” he asked, placing the marker down. 

The silence from the students was enough to answer Gavin’s question. “Well great. I’ll see you all next Tuesday then.” 

The students stood up from their chairs, giving Gavin a grateful smile, and hurried along to their next commitment as Gavin erased his math from the white board. 

Gavin Free was a British sophomore majoring in chemical engineering. He was awarded scholarship upon scholarship to the university due to his beyond-average test scores, and currently is on the path to graduating a full year early than the rest of the students in his grade. He was brilliant, but was modest about his talent, and decided to share his knowledge by working as a mathematics and chemistry tutor in the library on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. 

Humming quietly, Gavin picked up his books that were strewn across a nearby table and shuffled them into his messenger bag. He checked his watch for the time, and hurried out of the library to start his route to his next class - quantum chemistry lab, a class that most would shy away from. 

After greeting the brisk March air outside, Gavin reached for his small notebook that was stashed away in his bag, and pulled it out, carefully skimming over pre-lab notes he had taken in preparation for his chemistry class. Though they weren’t required, Gavin liked having an advantage inside a particularly rigorous class, and liked being able to help others that needed it. Strangely, Gavin didn’t find a subject such as quantum chemistry that difficult. 

Briefly reviewing his notes, Gavin smiled to himself as he approached the laboratory building. It was a beautiful Friday, with the sky the color of a pastel blue. Though Gavin had no particular plans for the evening, he enjoyed the weather that accompanied him from his commute to class. He tried not to think about the loneliness that would soon set in as night enveloped the campus, leaving him alone in his dorm room studying formulas and solutions until his eyelids fell to heavy to continue. 

With one last glance at the glistening sunlight dancing on the trees, Gavin pushed open the door of the laboratory building and was welcomed by the familiar scent of cleaning products and bleach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OUTRAGEOUSLY short chapter but its like a prologue cause i need to introduce the characters sorta so yeah here
> 
> back at it again with the mavin fic


	2. Chapter 2

“So, Gavin, any plans for tonight?” 

Gavin raised his eyebrows as his lab partner, a tall blonde girl by the name of Barbara Dunkelman, proposed her innocent question. Barbara was extremely smart, which is one of the reasons why Gavin enjoyed having her as his lab partner - allowing him to not have to take the time to explain certain procedures along the way. Unlike Gavin, however, Barbara was also quite popular. She was a sorority girl, the president of the biochemistry club, a member of the Student Government Association, and a volleyball player in the fall. Academics was just one of her many talents. 

“Not really,” Gavin answered with a shrug, placing his textbook into his messenger bag with a sigh. “Just going to do some studying probably.” 

Barbara rolled her eyes. “Studying on a Friday night? Come on, Gav. Have some fun every now and then.” 

Gavin chuckled lightly. The truth was, to the Brit, studying was his form of entertainment. The boy didn’t have many friends to his name, and the people that he did find himself comfortable with, were closer to other groups of people that matched them in personalities. Gavin felt as if he was the only one of his kind. Even Barbara, the straight-A student that she was, loved to go out on a Friday night. Gavin couldn’t lie and admit to himself that he wasn’t the least bit jealous of her extravagant life. 

“Well, I’ve got nothing else to do,” Gavin replied with a murmur, a half smirk on his face. 

“Do you want to come to the party tonight?” Barbara offered, pulling her long, blonde locks into a tight ponytail. 

Gavin shook his head to his lab partner’s polite proposition, and stood to leave the lab. “Thanks, but no thanks.” the Brit said with a breathy sigh, turning to exit the room. 

Barbara groaned, skipping forward enough to grab the sleeve of Gavin’s jacket, which caused the Brit to turn and meet Barbara’s worried gaze. “Staying in your room all day everyday isn’t good, Gav. Come on, have some fun!” 

With one final shake of the head, Barbara let go of Gavin’s sleeve. “No thanks, Barb. Maybe next week.” 

Aware of the burning gaze on the back of the Brit’s neck, Gavin hurried out of the laboratory door and into the crisp, Austin air that awaited outside. Gavin didn’t mean to sound like a party-pooper all of the time, but he genuinely just wasn’t interested in being in a room full of drunken, smelly college boys with their shirts half off and beer dripping from their chins. He just wasn’t cut out for being apart of the lifestyle. Besides, his grades were probably better than all the frat boys’ were combined. 

Gavin made his way towards his residence - Creekside Hall. It was nearing 3:30 PM, and luckily, the chemistry lab was Gavin’s last Friday class. He scheduled his Fridays to only have two classes, in comparison to his typical four to five on the other days of the week. A busy load didn’t bother the Brit in any way, and in fact, he liked to be kept busy instead of bored to death in his dorm room. 

As Gavin entered his dorm, he was greeted by the familiar face of his roommate, Ryan Haywood. Ryan was the polar opposite of Gavin - an athlete, popular, and strikingly handsome boy who loved being the center of attention. He wasn’t a member of any fraternities, but he attended so many frat parties that anyone would think he ran them. He was good company nonetheless, and Gavin enjoyed talking to Ryan and getting a taste of the outside world every now and then. 

“Hey Gav!” Ryan exclaimed as the Brit closed the door behind him, tossing his bag onto the ground and collapsing onto his bed. “How were classes today?” 

“Normal,” Gavin replied, his voice low and scratchy as he felt all of the fatigue of the week flood onto him in one decimating wave. “Exhausting.” 

“Take a nap,” Ryan advised with a soft smile. As much as the boy could get wild, Gavin loved how nice of a friend Ryan was. He was one of the most dependable people Gavin had in his life. 

Gavin smiled at his roommate’s comment, closing his eyes to the sound of Ryan’s click-clacking of his keyboard as he typed an assignment. “You have any plans tonight, Rye-Bread?” Gavin murmured, calling Ryan by the nickname he had made for him when they were roommates the year before. Though Ryan was a grade older than Gavin, he had been paired with him by chance. Gavin was grateful for the mistake in the matching process. 

“Gonna go to the Beta Theta Pi party tonight, heard it’s gonna be crazy,” Ryan answered, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. “You know, you’re welcome to go with me anytime you want to.” 

Gavin smirked, rolling over on his side and tucking his hands underneath his head. “I know,” he answered softly, feeling the tiredness beginning to tug at his eyelids. “One day.” 

“One day, Gav,” Ryan said in response, chuckling to himself as he resumed the work on his assignment. “One day.”

* * *

“Who’s ready to get fucked up?” 

Michael cheered alongside his brothers as Blaine shotgunned a beer in front of the university belltower, spilling half of it’s contents on the pavement below. With him was Ray, a frat brother named Trevor Collins, and Trevor’s roommate, Jeremy Dooley.

Trevor had actually graduated with Michael from his high school in New Jersey, and coincidentally ended up attending the University of Texas at Austin together, and joining the same fraternity. Though Michael didn’t talk to Trevor much during his high school years, he had come to get pretty close to the boy during college. He was tall, thin, ridiculously handsome, and quite funny. 

Jeremy Dooley was a strange boy Michael had met during his sophomore year when Trevor had dragged him along to one of the many tailgating parties that ensued that fall semester. He was short, but very muscular, and could hold down his hard liquor like a professional. Michael knew better than to cross him for fear of his large, trunk-like arms to somehow come wrapping around his neck. 

Blaine Gibson, on the other hand, was quite the opposite of Jeremy. He was due to become head of Beta Theta Pi the next year, and was tall, dark, and handsome - shaped almost identical to a golden god. He had blonde hair that was almost always perfectly combed back in a stylish quiff. He was usually seen wearing his letterman jacket from being on the football team for three seasons in a row. The boy was a legend, and sometimes Michael doubted that he had enough ‘cool-points’ to associate himself with Blaine Gibson. 

But then again, he was _Michael Jones_. Michael ‘keg champion, beer pong professional, lacrosse athlete, tequila shot-taking’ Jones. He knew that there were some out there that doubted they were enough to associate themselves with _him_. 

After Blaine had finished the beer and promptly smashed the can on the ground, Ray rushed over to pat the boy’s shoulders. “Time to roll out boys,” he said with a smile. Ray never drank alcohol at parties, which Michael loved, because he knew that Ray could always be depended on for getting them all home that night without a scratch on their bodies or any unplanned pregnancies. Ray enjoyed being the sober one, mainly because he was always there to snag embarrassing pictures of his passed out frat brothers to show off later. 

Jeremy cheered for a bit, joined by Trevor, as the group began to make their way towards the frat house. The time was 10:23 PM, and the party had technically started almost a half an hour prior, but the group always made it a point to be at least a little late. Michael always felt good being in the group that made all the sorority girls’ heads turn with their entrance, mainly because of Blaine and Trevor. Nevertheless, the attention felt good. 

As the boys approached the frat house, loud music could already be heard faintly from the street. There were a few people outside, holding red solo cups, and looking over their shoulders as the boys walked towards the front door. 

“Glad you guys could make it,” spoke one of the brothers whom Michael recognized as Jack Patillo. Jack was a senior, a ‘super-senior’ at that. He was red-haired, bearded, and quite burly, which gave him a rather intimidating appearance. On the inside, however, Jack was one of the sweetest souls you could have as a friend, and Michael greatly enjoyed hanging out with the guy. 

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Blaine said with his pearly-white smile. 

The other man standing in front of Jack was Geoff Ramsey, another senior, and the head of Beta Theta Pi. He was dark-haired and covered in tattoos. Michael remembered that when Geoff was made leader, a lot of controversy swirled over the fact that his forearms were covered in tattoos, and that it was ‘unprofessional’. Geoff was one of the most responsible guys Michael knew, and proved the public wrong by being the best fraternity leader he could be. 

“Head on in,” Geoff said, nodding. “Party’s already started.” 

Michael braced himself as he followed Blaine through the front door. The lights were dimmed, but Michael was immediately blinded by the pulsating, colored lights flashing over the ceiling and walls. The music grew exponentially louder as the boys entered the house, and people were already tipsily dancing in the center of the floor. Michael immediately made his way over to the kitchen area to grab a beer. 

“Michael!” 

Michael turned his head to a familiar voice calling his name. It was Ryan Haywood, a junior who wasn’t a frat brother, but was popular enough to make it into any party he wanted to. Michael quickly gave his friend a brief hug. “Hey Ryan,” he greeted, opening the can of beer and chugging half of it. “No surprise seeing you here.” 

“Yeah, not really,” the man said matter-of-factly. “Just got here actually. Was looking forward to seeing when you and the other guys would show up.” 

Michael smirked, tipping his beer forward. “Well, the party can officially begin now that we are. You up for shots?” 

Ryan chuckled. “Oh, I am always up for shots, Michael.” 

“Did someone say shots?” 

Like a hawk, Jeremy pushed his way through the people at the mention of hard liquor. He had already found himself a red solo cup with some sort of liquid inside of it. “How’d I guess you’d want in on this,” Michael joked, searching the cupboards for his shot drink of choice - tequila. Lacing his fingers around the neck of the bottle, Michael pulled it from the cupboard. To his surprise, Ryan had already miraculously found three shot glasses. 

“Line ‘em up!” 

Michael smirked with delight as he poured the tequila promptly into the three tiny glasses. Setting the bottle aside, he picked up the one on the far left, and held it up in the air. “Ready? One, two, down the hatch!” 

Michael closed his eyes as he raised the shot glass to his lips, grimacing as the fiery liquid made it’s way through his mouth and down his throat. He felt it settle in his stomach, the burning sensation still lingering over his tongue, but managed to utter a laugh as Jeremy yelled in triumph. 

“Nice one, boys,” Ryan praised, slamming his shot glass down on the countertop. “There’s some freshman setting up beer pong out back. Heard one of them say that he could take down anyone.” 

“Anyone?” Michael said, carefully setting down his glass with a raise of an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but he’s gravely mistaken.” 

“That’s what I thought!” Ryan replied fiercely. “Everyone here knows that Michael and Ryan are the true beer pong champions.” 

“Well, I suppose it’s time we show them who holds the title,” Michael proposed. “After another shot of course.”

“Respectively,” Ryan said with a half smirk. “Pour us another, then.” 

With excitement pumping through his veins, Michael took the tequila bottle in his hands again, and poured three more fiery glasses. “Cheers, boys,” Michael said, holding his glass in the air yet again. “To the good life!” 

Ryan and Jeremy made unrecognizable sounds of agreement, clinking their glasses with Michael’s and downing more of the alcohol, letting the full effect of the night begin to take it’s toll on their bodies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont worry, they meet next chapter :-)


	3. Chapter 3

“A _52%?_ ”

Michael let out a shrill gasp of disbelief as his calculus test was handed back to him. It was Monday morning, and Michael was still feeling a bit groggy from a second party he had attended on Saturday night. Both his weekend outings had left him hammered, hungover, and exhausted, but no amount of Sunday naptime could have prepared him for yet another failing test grade to hit him the following day. 

“At least it’s over half,” Ray sneered from beside him, giving an impressed look to his own grade of an 83%. 

Michael groaned in response, folding his test in half and shoving it rather violently into his bookbag. After the test dispensing, class was technically over, so Michael began to slide his bookbag onto his bag and move out of the aisle with Ray close behind him. “I don’t know what to do,” he sighed, feeling a knot in his stomach begin to swell with anxiety. “If I fail this class, my parents are literally going to fly to Austin just to beat my ass.” 

“Don’t fail then,” Ray said with a shrug. 

“Shut the fuck up, prick,” Michael retorted hotly, feeling frustration rise in his throat. Ray rarely failed tests. He was always shockingly average, no matter how hard he studied prior. Ray never did miraculously amazing on tests, or gruesomely terrible on them either. Michael, on the other hand, wished for mediocrity. 

Ray chuckled softly, pushing open the door out of the mathematics building. “Look, do what everyone else does when they can’t get shit right. Get a tutor or something.”  
Michael cast Ray a sideways glance of confusion and offense. “A tutor? Tutors are for idiots, and I’m not an idiot.” If there was one thing that Michael was truly defense about, it was his ego. His ‘brand’ was popular, fearless, intimidating tough-guy, not stupid, dumb, idiot. 

Ray raised an eyebrow. “Well, you haven’t gotten above a 60 on the last two tests, and your best quiz grade was a 75.” 

“And?” Michael pressed. 

“And, that’s not good. If you want the slightest sliver of hope of passing calculus, get someone to help you.” Ray’s brown eyes flashed genuine looks at concern towards Michael, but Michael’s gaze was cast downwards to the dirt. “It’s up to you if you take my advice or not.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Michael murmured. He had pretended not to care about his bad grades up until now, and the sudden realization of his predicament hit him like a freight train. Failing a class could interfere with his fraternity membership, scholarships, and relationship with his family. Failing a class was out of the question. “I guess I’ll swing by the library.” 

“Good,” Ray said with a slight smile. “I’m off to physics. Good luck, Mike.” 

With a wave, Ray turned down a side street and disappeared through the crowd of students being let out from a nearby lecture hall, and Michael was alone with his own impending thoughts of failure and loss. He really did need help, and soon. It was already halfway through the semester, and Michael knew that in order not to tank his GPA, he needed to do brilliantly on the next exams.

With a grumble, Michael turned towards the direction of the library, cursing himself under every breath.

* * *

“Good morning, Gavin.” 

Gavin waved a greeting to one of the librarian staff as he pushed through the doors of the familiar building. The scents of the books and the nearby coffee shop immediately filled the British boy’s nostrils, leaving him with a soft feeling of contentment. He whisked past some students talking in front of the staircase, and quickly made his way towards the peer tutoring center - a room surrounded by glass panes on the first floor of the library. 

Inside the tutoring center, Gavin’s accomplice, a junior named Lindsay, was already reviewing chemical formulas with a few lowerclassmen. Lindsay was never more than an acquaintance to Gavin, but she too was an academic genius. She was in a few of Gavin’s classes from time to time, and he had recalled studying with her in the past, but for the most part, Gavin exchanged greetings with the red-haired girl whenever she was tutoring at the same time as he was. 

Lindsay briefly looked up from the whiteboard to give Gavin a nod in greeting, for which he returned before she went back to explaining elements and their properties. Gavin quickly maneuvered to his desk of choice and began to pull out his books and organize them in front of him. He thought to himself that it’d be a good idea to do a little studying for his quantum chemistry test before a peer showed up to ask for his help. 

Gavin reviewed his notes, scribbly drawn through his notebook, and highlighted specific portions of notes that he deemed important to remember. On a side sheet of paper, Gavin began to write out formulas and key notes. His writing looked like a different language to anyone who didn’t understand quantum chemistry.

Gavin’s stream of consciousness was interrupted by the swinging-open of the tutoring center’s door. In the doorway stood a curly, russet-haired boy whose face was twisted in a look of worry and nervousness. His lips were softly fixed apart as if he was supposed to be speaking but could not find the words to make noise. With brown eyes darting around the room, he let the door shut behind him. 

“Are you here for tutoring?” Gavin offered, putting a light smile on his face in an effort to ease the boy’s nerves. He could tell that this was the first time that this boy had asked for tutoring before, due to his loss-for-words and discomfort with the quietness of the tutoring center. 

The boy nodded. “I am,” he answered, fiddling with his fingers. 

Gavin flicked his head, beckoning the boy to come join him at his table. “I can help you.” 

Uneasily, the boy made his way over to Gavin’s desk and let his bookbag fall on the floor beneath him. “What do you need help with?” Gavin asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern as the boy met his hazel gaze briefly. 

“Calculus,” he answered, pulling out a copy of, what looked like, an old exam. 

Gavin nodded. “I can do that,” he said with a smile. “I’m Gavin by the way.” 

“Michael,” the boy answered shortly. “Sorry, I’ve just never been to tutoring before.” 

“I thought so,” Gavin stated matter-of-factly. He reached out his hand to spin Michael’s exam around, and flip through the first pages. “Do you need help on anything specific?” 

“I need help on everything,” Michael answered with a hint of defeat in his tone. “It’s like I can’t do any of this shit right.” 

Gavin nodded, flipping through the test booklet and making mental notes on what topics he would press Michael deeper with. “That’s no problem,” he reassured, looking up from the booklet into Michael’s worried glance. “We can start from the basics. Calculus 101. No problem.” 

Michael groaned. “I promise, I’m like - I’m not stupid-” 

“I know,” Gavin said, cutting Michael off from what was beginning to be a defensive speal. “It’s just best to take things from the beginning, you know? You’re not here because you’re stupid, you’re here because you need help in something you’re not the best at. Right?” 

Michael nodded, letting his eyes fall towards the table. “Yeah,” he agreed. With a sigh, Michael straightened up. He caught a glimpse of Gavin’s quantum chemistry notes and his eyes immediately widened in shock. “Woah,” he breathed, leaning over the table to try and decipher the language that Gavin had written in. “You understand that stuff?”  
Gavin laughed softly. “Yeah,” he beamed, glancing over at the page Michael was looking at. “It’s pretty cool stuff.” 

With a bit of reassurance, Michael locked his gaze with Gavin’s. “Let’s get to work then. Teach me, O’ Great One.” 

Gavin laughed a little louder, catching the attention of Lindsay, who was still writing formulas on the whiteboard. She raised her eyebrows in amusement, and Gavin dismissed her with a flick of the wrist. The Brit opened the nearby calculus textbook sitting on his desk to chapter 1, and leaned over the table with a highlighter in hand, ready to explain to Michael all the basic concepts of the foundations of calculus. 

After about an hour and a half of straight calculus, Gavin closed the textbook that he and Michael were now a few chapters into studying. Michael, newly invigorated by his newfound knowledge, stood up to stretch. “It’s lunchtime,” he stated, looking down at Gavin. “I’m going to head on over the dining hall, care to come with?” 

Gavin looked down at his watch. The time was nearing 12:20, and next commitment Gavin had was at 1 PM. Gavin preferred to attend his classes 15-20 minutes early, but he supposed he could suffice a few of those extra minutes to eat. If he didn’t eat now, he wouldn’t until dinner anyway. Besides, maybe Michael could become a friend.

“I suppose I could for a bit,” Gavin agreed, picking up his books to slide into his bag. 

Michael nodded in agreement, waiting for Gavin to stand before leading him out of the library and into the warm air outside. Though it was March, Texas springtimes always tended to get warmer faster, especially in comparison to the rainy, bitterly cold weather of England. Gavin would miss his home at times, but he never missed the bleak weather that loomed overhead just about everyday. 

“So, Mr. Gavin,” Michael said amusingly. “Where are you from? Your accent is pretty cool.”

“Oxfordshire, England,” Gavin answered, his gaze lightening as he remembered the quaint feel of his hometown. It wasn’t large in any way, but Gavin liked being able to know most of the faces he passed by on the way to the market. He missed it, and couldn’t wait to go home in the summertime. “What about you?” 

“Woodbridge Township in New Jersey,” the russet-haired boy replied, his brown eyes glistening in the Texas sun. “Love it there. Miss it.” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to New Jersey,” Gavin added, his voice trailing a bit as he thought back to the various states he had visited. “It’s near New York though, ‘innit?”

“Yeah it’s up there.” Michael answered, flashing a sideways glance to Gavin. “What made you come here for school?” 

Gavin was quiet for a minute, pursing his lips together as he thought. “Well, mostly for the academic opportunities,” he began, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. “I mean I could’ve went to Cambridge or Oxford, but I didn’t want to end up like all the other blokes that constantly brag about being an ivy league scholar.” Gavin furrowed his brows, looking over at Michael. “I wanted to be a normal college student, not a gifted, ‘wiz-kid’ that was only worth a college degree.”

Gavin tried his best to be a normal college kid, but in actuality, a lot of his habits were anything but the norm. He tried to join mathematic and scientific clubs, but after a few weeks, would be so focused on studying to remember to show up for meetings. A majority of the Brit’s time was spent in his room, not out with friends or grabbing dinner with a group of classmates. Gavin didn’t like to realize it, but his social life at the University of Texas at Austin was just about the same as it would be at Oxford University - nonexistent. However, Gavin knew some people that went to the prestigious schools back in England, and they were all obnoxious, arrogant donuts. Above all else, Gavin didn’t want to transform into something he wasn’t. 

Michael nodded, moving his gaze in front of him. “I understand,” he said with a purse of the lips. “Oxford University seems pretty fucking cool though.”

“Eh, it’s alright,” Gavin replied with a chuckle. 

“So, what do you do around here, Gavin?” Michael asked curiously, giving Gavin another sunlit glance. “Anything fun?”

Gavin shook his head, shamefully admitting his lack of a social life to his new acquaintance. “I have a lot of schoolwork so I don’t have time to do anything else.” Gavin could tell that Michael didn’t know how to reply to this, so he proposed the question himself. “What about you? Anything fun?” 

“I’m in a fraternity,” Michael answered, a bout of confidence rising in his tone. “Beta Theta Pi.” 

Gavin’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh, cool! My roommate went to a Beta Theta Pi party this weekend. He’s not apart of the fraternity, though.” 

Michael tilted his head. “Oh yeah? Who’s your roommate?” 

“Ryan Haywood, you heard of him?” 

Michael’s mouth immediately went agape. “Shit! Your roommate is Ryan? That’s crazy!” The curly-haired boy let out a few laughs. “He’s my go-to beer pong partner. That dude is a legend!” 

Gavin chuckled, letting his shoulders drop a bit. He knew Ryan was the life of the party, and deep down, he was kind of jealous of Ryan’s raw charisma and good looks. Everyone knew Ryan, and everyone knew how great Ryan was. Nobody ever knew _Gavin Free._

“Yeah,” Gavin said loosely, a half smirk on his lips. “He’s pretty cool.” 

The newfound knowledge of Michael being a frat boy wasn’t too surprising to Gavin. He was loud, unapologetic, and proud, almost the complete opposite of the Brit. The intimidating look that surrounded the freckle-faced boy was enough to tell Gavin that he was apart of a whole different league. Gavin felt inferior to him - that he wasn’t interesting enough to entertain the boy for longer than ten minutes. However, the fact that Michael still seemed to enjoy being in his presence confused Gavin slightly. 

“Why don’t you go with Ryan to Beta parties?” Michael asked, curiosity ringing in his tone. “Have you ever been to a college party?” 

Gavin shook his head, somewhat embarrassed. “No, not my style,” he mumbled. “Maybe I will one day but I’ve never felt in the mood.” 

Michael nodded understandingly, his eyes glancing upward as the duo approached the dining hall. “Well, let’s hurry up and eat so you can make it to class in time.” 

Gavin smiled. “Sounds good,” he replied, meeting Michael’s glance again. His brown eyes were cast aflame by the sun’s rays, illuminating a warm glow that made Gavin feel comfortable. “Let’s go then.” Michael gave one last smirk before turning and pulling open the door to the dining hall with Gavin close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cute bois


	4. Chapter 4

“So if I find the limit of this function, then finding the solution to this would be so much easier, right?” Michael asked as the gears in his brain slowly began to turn and his understanding of the mathematical concepts became clearer and clearer. 

Gavin had been working with Michael for a little over three weeks now, and Michael was becoming very surprised at how easily the material was making sense to him. Gavin was a genius, and Michael figured he had been spending too much time with low-IQ frat boys to realize that guys like him existed at college. Michael was amazed with each opportunity he got to witness Gavin’s knowledge, and was extremely grateful for his patience when it came to tutoring. 

Michael considered Gavin his friend at this point. The pair usually ate together after their tutoring sessions at the dining hall, and had exchanged numbers for whenever Michael needed an emergency explanation for a problem he was working on. There were a few occasions where Michael had called Gavin to the library to bunker down at late hours of the night, figuring out math problems and munching away on muffins and bagels. Though Gavin was interesting, and quite the opposite of Michael’s daring and extroverted personality, the two seemed to get along great. 

“Exactly,” Gavin said with a nod, a smile appearing on his face. “See, not that hard.” 

Michael nodded, grinning as he hurried to scribble down some added notes on the open page of his notebook. Though he still wasn’t the best at math and it’s concepts, Gavin was making it a hell of a lot easier. Michael regretted not finding a tutor earlier in the semester. 

“Hey, I gotta run to class,” Michael said, shutting his notebook and stuffing it inside of his backpack. It was nearing noon on Friday, and Michael only had one more class between him and the weekend festivities. He wasn’t a stranger to skipping class, but he figured that his grades shouldn’t suffer more than they already are. “Thanks for the lesson today though, Gav.” 

Gavin nodded, sitting back in his chair a bit. “It’s no problem at all,” he replied, his hazel eyes beaming. 

Michael stood up, but then looked back down at Gavin with a quizzical look in his eyes. “Hey, I’m going to another Beta party tonight, why don’t you come with me?” 

Michael could see the shock apparent in Gavin’s face upon proposing the question. Gavin had revealed to him that he never wanted to go to any parties, and that most weekends he was pent up in his room by himself. Michael was saddened upon hearing this. He had learned over the course of the past three weeks that Gavin was a really fun guy to be with, and he was capable of fitting into so many friend groups if he would only put himself out there. 

After a few heartbeats of silence, Michael spoke again. “I mean, I’m just offering so you won’t be alone in your room for another Friday night. Plus, Ryan’s coming, you could totally tag along with him.” 

Gavin’s eyes darted back and forth, his shoulders slightly tensing. “Michael, I’m not the party type, you know me.” the Brit spoke, a disappointing lowness hanging in his tone. 

“Gav, everyone is the party type,” Michael reassured, narrowing his eyebrows but keeping a playful smirk on his face. “And you’re being formally invited by me. You can’t just turn down a formal invitation by a Beta Theta Pi member.” 

“I - I don’t know -” 

“Okay, Gav, I tell you what. I’ll stay sober, and if at any time you want to leave, I’ll take you back to your dorm. Sound good?” Michael proposed, watching the uncertainty in Gavin’s face morph into a widened look of surprise. 

“You’d do that?” Gavin asked, his head tilting slightly. 

“Of course,” Michael said. “The boys and I always meet at the Belltower prior. Just go with Ryan. Does this mean you’re going to come?” 

“Maybe,” Gavin answered, pursing his lips slightly. “If you see me at the Belltower, just know that I caved and don’t have as much work to do.” 

“Alright, Gav,” Michael replied with a chuckle, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “I gotta go now though. I’ll see you tonight - hopefully.”

Michael watched Gavin’s face change into a look of contentment as the Brit waved farewell before quickly turning and hastily hurried towards his next commitment, his head buzzing as the thoughts of the approaching weekend started to burn into his mind.

* * *

Gavin let out a sharp, anxious breath as Michael disappeared through the doors of the library and off to his class. As soon as the curly-haired boy left, Gavin’s stomach quickly started to twist and churn as he thought about Michael’s proposition. He had never got invited to a party before, let alone a frat party - infamously known as one of the biggest attractions to see drunk idiots shout and clash about for hours on end. He had heard the stories from Ryan, and even Barbara, on how unpredictable and wild these frat parties typically were. 

Gavin hated unpredictability. 

Gavin Free needed to be in control over as many things as humanly possible. He needed to control the circumstances that revolved around him directly, whether it be the scenarios he was placed in, the environment that moved around him, or the situations he found himself in. Whenever things somehow got out of his control, he felt weird. The feeling that sloshed in Gavin’s stomach and pounded in his head was the feeling he associated with feeling out of control, and he could feel it as it slowly started to eat away at him as he stood motionless in the tutoring center. 

“You alright, Gav?” 

Lindsay’s quizzical tone was enough to snap Gavin out of his anxiety-induced stream of consciousness. With his mouth slightly agape, he moved his glance over to where Lindsay sat, quietly working on classwork. Gavin quickly licked his lips. “Yeah, I’m good,” he replied, his voice a bit raspy. “I have to head to class.” 

Gavin turned and shuffled his work into a pile before compiling it all into his messenger bag. His mind was a mess of strewn-together thoughts, and he seemed unable to focus on what was currently happening in front of him. All he could think about was the potential outing that was going to occur that night - the social setting, the blinding lights, the strong scent of alcohol, the deafening noises. Everything seemed to hit Gavin at once, like some runaway, derailed freight train.

Gavin adjusted the strap on his shoulder and swiftly exited the tutoring center, pushing open door after door until he was met with the cool air of the outdoors. He started to make his way towards the chemistry labs for his weekly quantum laboratory and tried his hardest to fight away the impeding thoughts of the night to come. 

_I don’t even have to go._

Gavin repeated his own motto to himself, reminding himself that the party was completely optional. Still, his stomach continued to churn and burn with anxiety, and his mind swirled around with tangled thoughts of _what-if’s._

Gavin never liked invitations because he would spend the time following an invitation in a sense of worry and discontentment. He would overthink situations until there was nothing more to think about at all and talk himself out of outings constantly. He knew that the reason why he would sit in his room alone every weekend was his own doing and that it was his fault he never responded to the invitations that pleaded for him to come out of hiding and accept college life into his own. Gavin knew that his isolation that left him feeling sad and sorry for himself was all because of him, and he hated himself for it. 

With a wistful sigh, Gavin pushed open the doors to the laboratory rooms and made his way to his seat, letting his messenger bag fall weightily to the ground beneath him. His gloomy aura caught the attention of Barbara, who was scribbling down notes in her agenda in the seat across from him. 

“What’s up with you?” the girl asked, pushing her straight blonde hair behind her ear and giving Gavin a narrowed look of concern. 

Gavin gave his lab partner one glance before quickly looking away, biting his lip as he searched his mind for words to reply with. “Nothing, nothing,” he said, his voice breathy as he pushed away the thoughts of instability out of his mind. “Just one of those days.” 

“You look pretty shaken up,” Barbara commented, her quizzical gaze still burning hot into the side of Gavin’s head. “Really, did something happen?” 

“No,” Gavin replied hotly, flicking his head around rather quickly and meeting Barbara’s deep, blue gaze. “I’m fine.”

Barbara said nothing but continued to hold Gavin’s eye contact, her eyebrows furrowed in a relentless look of both concern and frustration. With a groan, Gavin threw his hands over his head and rested his elbows on the lab table. 

“Okay, fine, Michael invited me to a frat party and I’ve never been invited to a frat party and I don’t know what to do and my stomach hurts and I feel like shit.” 

Gavin couldn’t seem to form complete sentences as the words poured out of his mouth. He was always pretty lousy and hiding his feelings, especially from someone whom he knew quite well. He could see from Barbara’s inexorable gaze that she wasn’t going to stop pressing unless he told the truth. Immediately, Gavin lost the tension in his shoulders, and Barbara sat back in her chair. 

“Woah there, Gav,” the blonde responded with an initial breath of empathy. “Okay, first, who’s Michael? And second, why are you so nervous to go to a party? You don’t have to do anything stupid, just hang out with your friends.” 

Gavin frowned. “Michael is a guy I’ve been tutoring for a few weeks, he’s pretty cool, and he’s in Beta Theta Pi which is where I was invited,” the Brit explained with a gravelly tone in his voice. “I’ve never been to a frat party, Barb. The most I’ve ever had to drink was a sip of wine at my grandmother’s house back in England. Who goes to a frat party and doesn’t drink?” 

“A lot of people!” Barbara exclaimed, immediately combatted with a sharp glare by Gavin from across the table. “Alright, maybe a few people, but it’s fine! Nobody really cares about it!” 

“Easy for you to say, you fit in with everyone,” Gavin grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to follow Michael around like a lost pup either. The only other guy that I know will be there is Ryan.” 

“Talk to Ryan then, I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic if you go to a party he’s going to.” Barbara offered with a genuine smile on her red lips. “Gav, you’re overthinking it. It’s really not that big of a deal. You’re not going to die or anything.” 

“I know, I’m just nervous.” Gavin exhaled, closing his eyes for a brief second. “Jittery, kind of. I just don’t know what to expect, or if I should even go.” 

“My advice is just go,” Barbara commented, her voice lilting. “You’ll never know if you don’t go. Do something for once. It’ll be a lot of fun I bet.” 

Gavin sighed, reaching for his chemistry notebook and plopping it on the table in front of him. “I hope so,” he murmured, choosing not to meet Barbara’s softened gaze that peered from in front of him as he prepared for the day’s laboratory.

* * *

“Gavin! I’ve been waiting for this day all year!” 

Gavin couldn’t help but chuckle at Ryan’s excited response as he spilled the news that he had chosen to attend the Beta Theta Pi party that night after being invited by Michael Jones - a Beta Theta Pi member himself. “I know, it’s strange for me, isn’t it?” Gavin said with another laugh, meeting Ryan’s dark blue gaze as he smiled from sheer surprise. 

“It is, it’s also weird that you know Michael,” Ryan replied with a slight narrowing of his eyes. “Michael is pretty cool, and the other guys are cool too. I’m excited for you to meet them.” 

_I’m glad someone is excited._

Gavin wasn’t the best guy when it came to meeting and socializing with new people. He didn’t really know how else to meet new friends, but he always felt a bit awkward socializing with someone where there was no history to build a conversation from. From what it sounded like, there was going to be a handful of other guys that Gavin would have to interact with, and he was hoping to cling onto Michael and Ryan when it came to talking to them. He couldn’t say that he was looking forward to that bit. 

“We roll out at 10, so be ready.” Ryan said rather ominously, raising his eyebrows as he searched Gavin’s face for an expression. 

Gavin smiled lightly, then trailed over to his bed before collapsing on his sheets for a pre-party, well-deserved nap, shutting away all his feelings of apprehension and uneasiness.

* * *

Gavin was woken up rather abruptly by Ryan looming over him with a grin plastered on his scruffy face. The Brit was quick to notice that the daylight had been quickly replaced by the blackened night outside of his windows and that the only light illuminating the room was Ryan’s multi-colored floor lamp that stood beside the door. Ryan was wearing a blue t-shirt and a baseball cap, which Gavin had never seen before on the upperclassmen. He quickly blinked his eyes a few times to wipe away the sleep out of his system. 

“Get ready, we’re leaving in ten minutes,” Ryan said matter-of-factly, walking back towards his desk to pull out his phone and send a text or two. Gavin instantly began to think about his attire. He really had no idea what ‘party-wear’ was, and wasn’t planning to make a fool out of himself figuring it out. Basing his ideas off of Ryan’s current outfit, Gavin rolled out of his bed and made his way to his dresser to pick out some new clothes. 

He decided to keep on the black, straight-legged jeans that he was wearing but swapped his cream sweater for a dark gray, short-sleeved, plain t-shirt. He walked over to the wall mirror and shrugged as his outfit came together as dark and uncaring - a look he could roll with. His hair was messy from the nap but still gelled somewhat in the way that he had fixed it that morning. He knew that the messy look was appealing to some people and decided not to change his hair other than a few adjustments to the tips by his fingers. He deduced that he was as ‘party-ready’ as he could ever be. 

“You ready?” Ryan asked, looking up from his phone. Gavin noted at how ‘dad-like’ Ryan looked but decided to keep his comment to himself. 

Straightening his shirt, Gavin locked his gaze with Ryan’s. “As I’ll ever be,” he replied with a smile. He tried to hide the anxiety crippling him - making his stomach feel as it was being liquefied. 

“Let’s start heading out then!” Ryan exclaimed, his eyes bright as he stood from his desk and shoved his phone into his pocket. Gavin noticed how muscular Ryan’s arms looked in the plain t-shirt he was wearing, and thought maybe that his roommate had started working out again. Reluctantly, the Brit followed behind Ryan as he led him out of their room and into the brisk night outside. 

The air was somewhat chilly, and Gavin had opted out of bringing a jacket purely because Ryan hadn’t brought one himself. The older man seemed perfectly content, however, which inspired Gavin to put mind over matter and forget about the temperature. “Nervous?” Ryan asked, looking down at Gavin with a smirk on his lips.   
“Sort of,” Gavin replied, his tone twisted as it was caught in his own internal lie. He was, in fact, ridiculously nervous. 

Ryan moved his gaze in front of him, still wearing the same comforting smirk on his face. “Don’t be nervous,” he reassured. “We won’t ditch you or anything.”   
Gavin nodded, trying his best to feel comforted by Ryan’s words. He knew that his friends wouldn’t abandon him and leave him alone in a pulsating room full of drunken college students, but he was more nervous about what the party’s effects would have on him. He didn’t know if he was expected to dance, drink, or shag someone. 

The boys walked to the Belltower, indulging themselves in mindless small talk before meeting up with the rest of the group that Gavin had heard so much about from both Ryan and Michael. He immediately recognized Michael, dressed in a slightly wrinkled button-down shirt and khaki shorts. He had a baseball hat that was backwards, and Gavin began to feel as if he was left out on the whole ‘baseball cap movement’. 

“Gavin!” Michael exclaimed, quickly pulling in Gavin for a brief hug. The freckled boy smelled strongly of cologne, which was abnormal from typical-Michael. Gavin couldn’t help but laugh in return. 

“Yeah, I made it,” he chuckled, releasing Michael from the shared embrace. 

“Guess I should introduce you to the gang then, huh?” Michael added, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “Well, this is my roommate, Ray. He’s easy to tell apart because he’s Hispanic.” 

Gavin moved his glance over to a skinny, darker-skinned boy that was standing next to Michael who put his hand up in greeting. “Hey,” the boy said in return. Gavin couldn’t help but make a mental note of the dark facial hair that the boy had on his face, and how sharply shaven it appeared to be. He looked fresh and cool - someone that Gavin couldn’t ever picture himself being friends with if it weren’t for Michael and Ryan. 

“This short man right here is Jeremy, but don’t ever call him short yourself or he’ll definitely pummel you.” 

Gavin’s eyes widened at the particularly threatening introduction of Jeremy, who was wearing a grin on his face that could never hint to any signs of aggressiveness. His muscles were quite noticeable through his t-shirt though, and Gavin would definitely think twice before ever messing with him in the future. 

“This fine guy right here is Trevor, and I actually graduated with him, so he’s pretty cool.” 

Gavin first noticed how incredibly handsome Trevor was. He was dressed similarly to Michael - wearing a button-up long sleeve shirt with khaki shorts - but he was noticeably tall and chiseled, which were features that Gavin longed to have. He did look, however, ‘boyish’, which was set apart from Ryan’s level of manly handsomeness. 

“And this madly gorgeous guy right here is Blaine, future head of Beta Theta Pi.” 

Gavin nodded, surprised to be face-to-face with such a wildly popular boy. He was muscular, tall, blonde, and devilishly handsome - almost a mesh of all the boys in the group combined. Gavin doubted that he had enough prestige to associate himself with any of the guys. 

“Nice meeting you all,” Gavin said, following a worried gulp. “I’m Gavin, but you all probably knew that already.” 

“It’s time to get fucked up!” Blaine shouted in return, pulling a beer can from his pocket. With a cheer, Jeremy took out a pocket knife and stabbed a hole in the side of the can, which was the queue for Blaine to chug the whole thing in half a minute before promptly throwing it on the sidewalk and crushing it with his foot. Cheers from the guys filled the air, and Gavin gave an awkward laugh. The group began to move towards the frat house, some more excited than others. 

“You know, you still don’t have to come,” Michael said in a soft tone, hanging back from the group and walking beside Gavin. His eyes were illuminated by the whole moon overhead, casting a silver gleam on the edges of his russet curls. 

Gavin smiled, suddenly feeling comforted by Michael’s gentle words. He knew that whatever happened that night, Michael would be there to make sure he didn’t get into too much trouble. “I know,” Gavin replied lightly, feeling a warmth start to glow in his heart. “But this beats sitting alone in my room, so let’s have some fun, eh?”   
“That’s the spirit!” Michael cooed, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. 

As the group approached the frat house, Gavin could hear a muffled, pulsating bass emitting from the location. There were a few people strewn out on the lawn, holding cups in their hands and mindlessly chattering away from the hustle of the heart of the party. Gavin felt his palms begin to sweat as there was no turning back now - whatever was going to happen, he no longer had any control over. 

Blaine and Ryan quickly chatted to a few older looking guys that were standing near the door. Michael introduced them as being Geoff and Jack - two seniors, one being the head of the fraternity itself. They were holding bottles of some sort of beer but seemed to be having a great time just relaxing outside in the crisp air. Gavin admired their level of ‘cool’. 

With a deep breath, Gavin followed Michael through the front door of the frat house, and into the loud, booming music of the party he had been so reluctant to attend. 

The volume of the music was something that initially made Gavin squint with discontent. After a few minutes, however, the music seemed to blend into the surroundings, and Gavin could take the time to actually access what was going on around him. There were a lot of people standing in groups, and almost everyone was holding a red solo cup or a bottle of beer. Girls were dressed in hardly anything, and some people were already drunkenly flailing about in the center of the floor. It was a whole other world that Gavin had never taken the time to see for himself.

“Shots?” Jeremy shouted over the music, looking first at Michael, then at Gavin. 

“Staying sober tonight,” Michael replied with a shrug, but then flashed a glance at Gavin. “What about you? Shots with Jeremy?” 

“Shots?” Gavin questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“Shots? I’m up for shots!” Ryan barged in return, a look of excitement alight on his face. 

Jeremy made a beckoning gesture with his hand which was enough for Gavin to follow him. Michael was close behind, and Ryan to his side as Jeremy led them to the kitchen area and picked up a large glass bottle of some unreadable alcohol. Without any further words, the muscular man poured the liquid into three tiny glasses and handed one to Gavin. 

Gavin could see the liquid shaking in the cup and wasn’t sure if it was because of the pulsating music or his own nerves. He had never drunk a sip of anything more than wine, and this was hard liquor. It might’ve been the booming of the bass in the obnoxious song playing through the walls, the reassuring, soft glance of Michael to the right of him, or the persistent drive in his system to push away all his thoughts of insecurity and worry. 

At the end of Jeremy’s anticipated countdown, Gavin threw his hand up in the air and let the fiery liquid make it’s way down his throat. 

Gavin spattered a bit, feeling a bit humored as Michael patted his back. “Oh, God,” he said after a bout of coughing, looking up to see Jeremy grinning widely with an empty shot glass in his hand. “What was that?” 

“Tequila,” Jeremy answered with a chuckle. “Probably not something I should’ve started you out on. Strong stuff.” 

A look of determination in his pupils, Gavin slammed the shot glass down on the counter. “Pour me another,” he demanded with a devilish grin, followed by cheering from the surrounding guys. Michael shook the Brit’s shoulders a little, and Jeremy filled the glass up with another shot of the fiery drink. On another count of three, Gavin downed the liquid, but with fewer coughs to follow. 

“Let me get you a beer, pal,” Jeremy offered, smiling at Gavin and then inching away towards the cooler that sat a few footsteps away. Gavin didn’t explicitly ask for the beer, but he wasn’t going to refuse it either. He was already two shots into a predicament he didn’t really see coming - not in a million years. 

Before Gavin could even fathom the consequences of the night of sin that lay before him, Jeremy thrust a cold bottle into his palm and popped open the cap with a bottle opener on his keychain. “Doesn’t taste that great, but you get used to it,” he advised, opening one himself and chugging almost half the bottle. 

Gavin took a sip and was immediately repulsed, scrunching his nose up at the foul wheat juice. He couldn’t understand how people drank it and actually enjoyed it - it tasted like fungal water. “No one drinks beer because they like it, Gav,” Michael spoke, a voice that was soft and reassuring coming from his pursed lips. “People drink it to further their drunkenness.” 

Gavin took Michael’s words as if they were a sign to fight through the God-awful taste. He bit his lip and then chugged the bottle until there was nothing more left. Gasping for a few breaths, he heard Jeremy clapping behind him. 

“I’m truly impressed,” the muscular man addressed. He had a full shot in his hand, and Gavin had been too invested in downing the beer to even notice where or when he had gotten it. “Take this to chase it.” 

Without any questions, Gavin reared back and took the shot. 

“Welcome to your first college experience,” Michael said with a smirk, shaking Gavin’s shoulder a bit as he felt static start to implode in his mind, freeing his brain of the oily worries that once clouded it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay!!! college finals ahh


End file.
